Episode 35: Gretchen McNeil, YA Horror/Suspense Novelist
Novel Idea, Market, Writing, Craft, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole Novel Idea, Market, Writing, Craft, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole

Episode 35: Gretchen McNeil, YA Horror/Suspense Novelist

Dark YA novelist Gretchen McNeil joins Mary in an episode all about recognizing and executing a good story idea. They discuss the shifting young adult book market and embracing diversity, mastering storytelling structure and the importance of shaping the reader's experience, and the controversial subject of IP development.

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Marketing To Libraries
Marketing, Community, Market, Nonfiction Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing Guest User Marketing, Community, Market, Nonfiction Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing Guest User

Marketing To Libraries

If you’ve written a book, you’re probably considering marketing to libraries—especially if you’re a self-published author. As such, you’re the direct link between your work and the rest of the world—no fancy marketing departments to help you out.

So how do you approach marketing to libraries?

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Episode 30: Benjamin Roesch, YA/MG Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Short Story Draft, Short Story Publishing, Short Story Submission, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Short Story Draft, Short Story Publishing, Short Story Submission, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing Mary Kole

Episode 30: Benjamin Roesch, YA/MG Author

Benjamin Roesch joins us to talk about his debut novel—but not his first novel—published with LGBTQ+ young adult indie publisher Deep Hearts. We talk about turning short stories into a novel, coming of age fiction, and being an older debut writer.

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Episode 33: Sara Zarr, YA & Middle Grade Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole

Episode 33: Sara Zarr, YA & Middle Grade Author

Sara Zarr brings insight and personal experiences to surviving the sudden and drastic changes within the YA marketplace, such as the popularization of certain YA genres and how that affects YA authors who specialize outside of those genres.

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Episode 25: Leslie C. Youngblood, Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Submission, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Submission, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline Mary Kole

Episode 25: Leslie C. Youngblood, Author

Leslie C. Youngblood shares her journey through her MFA program, gives tips on crafting interesting character relationships, and weighs in on one of the hottest questions for authors today: traditional or self-publishing?

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The Young Adult Fiction Market with Sara Zarr
Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing Mary Kole Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing Mary Kole

The Young Adult Fiction Market with Sara Zarr

Join Mary Kole and Sara Zarr as they talk about the complex realities surrounding publishing and becoming a career author within a rapidly shifting YA and Middle Grade marketplace. Sara Zarr brings insight and personal experiences to surviving the sudden and drastic changes within the YA marketplace.

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Episode 24: Mindy McGinnis, YA Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Revision, Novel Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Revision, Novel Submission Mary Kole

Episode 24: Mindy McGinnis, YA Author

Mindy McGinnis, mystery, suspense, thriller author and dog haver, joins the Good Story Podcast to talk about her upcoming work with James Patterson, shit-shoveling, book snobbery, and showing characters' humanity.

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How to Write a Novel Synopsis
Writing, Critique, Craft, Novel Submission, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea Guest User Writing, Critique, Craft, Novel Submission, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea Guest User

How to Write a Novel Synopsis

One of the most difficult parts of submitting a manuscript or query to an agent or publisher is figuring out how to write a novel synopsis. That task is different every time and for every book. Just like the task of writing each book is different and calls upon different skills, crafting a synopsis for each manuscript is different, as well.

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Episode 20: Rachel Orr, YA and Children's Literary Agent
Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole

Episode 20: Rachel Orr, YA and Children's Literary Agent

Decades-long agent, Rachel Orr, talks about real life clients as she shares what agents and editors are looking for, what to include in your query letter, and how to challenge the status quo.

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Episode 23: Jonathan Auxier, Writer of Strange Stories for Strange Kids
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Submission Mary Kole

Episode 23: Jonathan Auxier, Writer of Strange Stories for Strange Kids

NYT Bestselling young adult and middle-grade author Jonathan Auxier joins Mary Kole to discuss visual writing, worldbuilding, and how different media use dialogue to create action.

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Episode 9: Kilby Blades, Romance Author
Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing Mary Kole Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing Mary Kole

Episode 9: Kilby Blades, Romance Author

A conversation with Kilby Blades (author of romance novels such as The Gilded Love series) about self-publishing, writing diverse, feminist characters, and changes the traditional publishing industry needs to make in order to be an inclusive space for writers of color.

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Episode 19: Chuck Sambuchino, Freelance Editor and Publishing Expert
Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole

Episode 19: Chuck Sambuchino, Freelance Editor and Publishing Expert

Insights from industry veteran Chuck Sambuchino on how to become a well-informed writer, build a platform, and get published.

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Communicating with Literary Agents
Agent, Submission, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Agent, Submission, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Communicating with Literary Agents

Communicating with literary agents is an important part of the querying process. Here are some communication do's and don'ts that'll give you the best shot at receiving a response to your query.

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Growing From Aspiring Writer to Published Author with Rebecca Ansari
Writing, Craft, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Growing From Aspiring Writer to Published Author with Rebecca Ansari

Debut middle grade author Rebecca Ansari chats with Mary about the journey from aspiring writer to published author, MG craft insights, and what new things she has in the works!

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Writing for a Living
Writing, Market, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Writing, Market, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Writing for a Living

Many aspiring writers hope to quit their day jobs so they can pursue writing for a living, but is this a realistic goal? Here's an overview of what to expect if you want to pay the bills with your writing.

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Episode 31: Lisa Stringfellow, Middle-Grade Fantasy Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole

Episode 31: Lisa Stringfellow, Middle-Grade Fantasy Author

Lisa Stringfellow discusses her debut novel set in the Caribbean, “A Comb of Wishes.” She talks through her long journey from draft to finished book—plus plans for Book 2—and shares craft and industry tips she’s learned along the way.

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